{ Not Allowing Fear to Set In }

I don't mean to convey that I am unaffected or unaware of how bad the state of the economy really is, or to ignore job loss numbers that we have or the very real foreclosure and bankruptcy rates happening at the moment. No, those things are ever present and touch my life and the lives of my clients every day in a myriad of ways. However, if I were to listen to the media, if I were to be reactionary, I would be paralyzed by fear...and well, I'm just not. One of my nearest and dearest friends is moving jobs soon. Leaving a steady, secure (not too inspiring) job for a new exciting cutting edge job with a shorter history of stability (but stable, no the less). He didn't leap blindly, but if he were to listen to the media hype he should have just stayed put. My sister and bro in law are considering expanding their business. While they haven't committed to the idea 100%, if they were to listen to the media, they would just sit still and be grateful for what they have now. I have a close friend who is launching her business next month. After years of dreaming and months of planning, she is thrilled to be launching...and we're thrilled for her! In my own home, we are strategically planning to both be self employed (currently, I am the lone entrepreneur in the family). This shift may not happen overnight or even next year, but steps are being made to build a second business and step out of a very very safe job in education. I have two friends whose primary or only income spouses lost their jobs. After the initial "holy crap" moments, both households got really creative and nothing became sacred. Yes, they were up for moving even if it meant selling their homes from near break even prices. Yes, they could go to one car. Yes, the stay at home spouse could go back to work. They met it with very open minds. Both households have new opportunities but the landscapes of their lives are very different today then they were six months ago.
My point is this, we cannot be ruled by fear. There are many ways to get to an end result. If you stop looking - or even acknowledging alternatives - then your world becomes a small place and you begin to feel trapped. That's when it becomes easy to let the fear set in and in fear we make small choices.